Ryder Cup: France announced as 2018 hosts

Ryder Cup Betting / Dan Thomas / 17 May 2011 / Leave a Comment

Thomas Levet and Jean van de Velde hold the Ryder CUp

"It will be the first time France has hosted the Ryder Cup and only the second time the contest will have been be played on mainland Europe."

France has been named as the host country for the 2018 Ryder Cup, holding off strong competition from Spain.

Le Golf National course, near Paris, will stage the biennial contest between Europe and the United States after it was chosen ahead of its southerly neighbour and other bids from Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands.

Spain was thought to be in pole position following calls to award Madrid the event in honour of Seve Ballesteros, who was patron of the bid and died earlier this month after a long battle with cancer.

But the European Tour were not swayed by the emotional argument and opted for Le Golf National. It will be the first time France has hosted the Ryder Cup and only the second time the contest will have been be played on mainland Europe.

Next year's Ryder Cup will be held in Medinah in Illinois. The US and Europe are neck-a-neck on the Betfair market.